Apparatus for producing fog streams



July 30, 1940. Y coRLEy 2,209,323

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FOG STREAMS Filed June 7, 1957 42%] 6/ 2/ z:jfyl.%

Patented July 30, 1940 I UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FOGSTREAMS John T. Corley, Providence, R. I.

Application June 7, 1937, Serial No. 146,709

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to fire fighting equipment, and hasparticular reference to a nozzle construction for producing streams offog.

Chemical fires, and burning gasoline and oils cannot be effectivelycontrolled by using streams of water, as the impact of the water merelysplashes the burning material and thus increases the fire hazard,instead of blanketing or smothering the fire. The most effective meansfor combating fires of this type has been found to be the use of astream of fog or finely dispersed water which will settle over theburning mass without splashing, to effectively exclude access of air tothe combustible material.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a nozzleconstruction of simple character which can produce a very effective fogstream when attached to standard hose connections.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a standardizedconstruction which will accommodate difierent pressures and differentsizes of hose connections used for standard fire fighting equipment, soas to permit formation of a fog stream with any type of standardequipment.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, myinvention consists of a novel method and a novel arrangement of partsmore fully disclosed in the detailed description following, inconjunction with the following drawing and specifically defined in theclaims appended thereto.

In the drawing,

Fig. L discloses a standard type of nozzle equipped with my improved fogproducing cap;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the novel cap;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the novel cap;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the path of the water through thenovel cap;

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a modified construction; and

Fig. '7 is a section therethrough.

Referring to the drawing, a nozzle ID of a standard type is providedwith a fog producing cap H, which cap has a base flange I2 which isprovided with the usual gripping recesses I3 and is internally threadedas at I 4 to permit detachably threading on external thread l5 at theupper end of the nozzle I 0. A recess I6 is preferably provided in thebase, just above the threads I 4, to

receive a packing washer l1, and the base of the nozzle [0 is internallythreaded as indicated at l8 and is also provided with a recess 19 inwhich a packing washer 20 is positioned, for detachably securing tostandard fire fighting water connections.

If desired, the nozzles I0 may be made of different sizes to fitdifferent size connections, or a coupling of standard type may be used,whereby 5 one nozzle l0 may be detachably connected to any standard hoseor nozzle'tip.

The novel cap II is preferably dome shaped as indicated in Fig. 2, andis provided with a plurality of concentric slots 2|, see Fig. 3,internal 10 supporting ribs 22 being preferably positioned asillustrated in Fig. 4 to permit the use of completely circular slots. Asindicated in Figs. 5 and '7, the slots are preferably parallel; thusforming fiow channels with parallel sides and having a 15 substantiallyuniform angular relation to the axis of the nozzle and the direction offlow of the fluid, the results of practical tests have disclosed thatthe water emerging from these parallel slots, under the usual pressures,will mix as indicated 20 in Fig. 5 to form a very fine fog stream aboutsix to eight feet wide and extending up to forty feet in length,depending on the pressure of the water supply. Since the volume of waterand the pressure vary with the fire fighting system and '25 the pressurepumps used, it has been found desirable to use caps with a number ofannular slots determined in accordance with the volume and the pressure;high volume and high pressure require a greater number of annular slots,as for 30 example illustrated in the modification shown in Figs. 6 and'7, and low volume and pressure require a smaller number of slots, seeFig. 3. Experience has shown that the best fog results are obtained whenthe annular slots are in parallel 35 relation, as radial slots produce awide scattering of the spray instead of forming a long fog stream ofrelatively narrow width.

Although I have disclosed my invention as particularly suitable for firefighting equipment, 40 the principles thereof may be readily applied toany spraying device with which it is desired to form a column of finespray of extended length. While I have disclosed a specific embodimentof my invention it is obvious that changes in the 45 arcuate fluid flowslots, said slots being in substantially uniform angular relation to thedirection of flow and said guide member being threadedly engaged withthe discharge end of said 5 z; conduit.

2. A device for producing a fog stream, comprising a fluid conduit, andan integral, one-piece, dome-shaped guide member having concentric

